To Have a Home
by AlliedHeart
Summary: After the war, Harry reflects on his life. He finally feels at peace. And for the first time in his life Harry feels like he has a home. Songfic to Darren Criss' "To Have a Home".


**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the wonderful world of Harry Potter or this beautiful song…they belong to JKR and Darren Criss.**

To Have a Home

Harry took a deep breath, inhaling the mouthwatering scent of Molly Weasley's cooking. He sighed contently. Today was his eighteenth birthday, and he was lounging on the old couch in the Burrow's living room. He could not help but to think back on his life. So much had happened in the past year – in his whole life for that matter. Exactly one year ago, Harry had arrived at the Burrow in despair over the death of Mad-Eye Moody and his poor owl, Hedwig. But now, he was relaxing; not a worry in the world. Looking around at the other occupants in the room who were impatiently awaiting the call for dinner, Harry smiled. Yes, he missed those who were gone, those who had given their lives to make the wizarding world a better place; however, it was thanks to them that he was able to have this. To have a home.

_Home._

_I've heard the word before._

_but it never meant much more,_

_than just a thing I've never had._

Home. The word sounded foreign to his own ears. Harry grew up not knowing what the true meaning of home was. He lived with the Dursley's in their house, but that was just it. It was always _theirs_, never his. It was their home, not Harry's. Hogwarts was Harry's first home, or so he thought. It took years for him to finally figure it out. Home is not a building. It's a feeling. A place where you are at your most comfortable. Home is the people that you care about the most.

_A place,_

_they say, "hey, know your place",_

_but I've never had a place to even know,_

_or a face that I could go to if I needed someone there._

Now, sitting with the people Harry cared about most in the world, he was happy. He was home. His arm tightened reflexively around Ginny, who was leaning against him with her eyes closed peacefully. He looked around. He saw Andromedia Tonks rocking his godson, Teddy Lupin, in her arms. He saw Ron beating Percy at chess; Hermione overlooking the game. He saw Mr. Weasley half-asleep in his armchair. He saw George explaining his latest Weasley's Wizard Weezes invention to Charlie and Neville. He saw Luna explaining her newest imaginary creature to a bemused Bill and Fleur. He saw Mrs. Weasley bustling around the kitchen preparing his birthday dinner. All of these people were home.

_I'm laughing._

_it's hard to hide a smile,_

_my God, it's been a while,_

_since I have had a reason to._

_to think._

Harry smiled. This is the first time in a long time that Harry has had a reason to smile. He is so used to all of the death and destruction that just this simple moment of serenity had Harry unable to stop. With his family, he is the happiest. The war is over. Hard times are over. The destruction is over. Yes, it will take a long road to recovery, but this is a start. Harry felt that he had a extremely good reason to be this happy.

_it's been here all along._

_somewhere to belong, and a reason, a something to believe in._

_I've finally found it,_

_a place where I'm wanted._

_this must be how it feels,_

_to have a home._

Harry glanced up at the spectacular clock that the Weasley family owned. It did not tell time. It's hands simply had a picture of every member of the family. They pointed to things such as _work, school _and _home_. They were all pointed to _home_ at the moment – except one. Fred's hand was pointing to _gone_. Fighting back the rush of emotions that threatened to break the peace, Harry looked quickly at the newest addition to the clock. A picture of himself. This was his birthday present from the Weasleys. It was the best present he had ever gotten. Because now Harry knew they felt as if he was one of them. When he had first unwrapped his present, Harry could not help the tears that had escaped his eyes. Mrs. Weasley had automatically wrapped her arms around him and he allowed himself to cry on her. A few minutes later he had proceeded to hug every member of the Weasley family. He did not know how to express how much they each meant to him.

_I used to dream about it,_

_but never schemed or counted,_

_on fantasies or wishes._

_it breaks a man to see what he misses._

_so many nights I'd pray,_

_for a better life, a better day,_

_but never thought that it'd come true,_

_it's finally here and I don't know what to do,_

_and I'm trying not to cry._

_this must be how it feels,_

_to have a home._

When he was younger, Harry used to imagine a home. He used to dream about breaking free from the Dursley's and finding a girl who would love him for who he was just like the heroes in all the movies he had sneaked when the Durleys' left him home alone. His repetitive dream was of a beautiful wife, a nice house in the country, two boys that he was teaching to play sports and a little girl to pick up and hug. Since he started Hogwarts, those dreams changed a bit. They changed to a beautiful witch as his wife, a house with a quidditch pitch where he was teaching two boys who looked like him to fly, and a little red-headed girl who looked like his mother clinging to him. But because of Voldemort, Harry believed it to all be a dream. Now, he can make it a reality. Now, his dream is of him and Ginny living in a beautiful cottage in Godric's Hollow, them both teaching their kids to fly and raising them to be great witches and wizards. _This is my future now_ he thought looking down at the diamond engagement ring on Ginny's finger. Harry knew that his vision wouldn't be for a few more years but he was happy with his life now. He had Ginny, Teddy, Hermione, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys. They were his family. They were his home.

_I've finally made it._

_I've hoped and I've waited,_

_and for the first time in my life,_

_I don't feel so alone._

_my heart starts to heal,_

_to know that its real._

_this is how it must feel,_

_to have a home!_


End file.
